Gumbo is a stew/soup that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It generally consists of primarily a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and veggies (celery, bell peppers, onions). Often times you’ll see gumbo made with okra as well. It’s traditionally served over rice or a heaty, warm, comforting dish.

There’s a lot of flexibility while making gumbo, so we’re in luck here at LiveCheapFeelRich. Not only can this be a crockpot meal, but it can also be a freezer meal – and depending on your family’s tastes, the recipe can be tweaked. Here’s a couple of recipes that I think our audience will particularly love.

Sometimes seafood can be pretty pricey if you are looking to get a quality buy. This recipe capitalizes on the fact that the ‘meat’ of this recipe is chicken and sausage only, which is far less expensive. This recipe is also said to freeze so well that the leftovers are even better than the fresh batch! Best perk yet, WearyChef.com promises that this recipe can be done in a mere hour.

You start out by seasoning and cooking your meat. While this is happening, all the veggie dicing occurs (there’s a lot of it!). Once the meat is done cooking, you make a roux with flour and oil and stir together until smooth. Then add in the diced vegetables and cook until tender. While this is happening, you can start the rice and shred the cooked chicken. Add chicken broth, spices, and garlic to the veggie/roux misture and stir until smooth – slowly add in water and additional spices + your cooked meat. Cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes.

To serve, simply ladle onto a generous portion of rice and enjoy! There’s a lot of steps and things going on during this recipe, but if you plan this right and capitalize on your time while things are cooking, this is a pretty simple recipe that’s sure to please!

I had to include one recipe with the shrimp – I am a huuuuge seafood fan. Pro tip: don’t always say ‘no’ to frozen seafood! It’s generally flash frozen fresh and tastes just as awesome as fresh – usually cheaper too!